October 19, 2005

IRWINDALE, Calif., Oct. 19, 2005—Southern California Edison (SCE) today celebrated the 15-year anniversary of customer partnerships through its Customer Technology Application Center (CTAC), a high-tech, educational and training facility used to showcase the benefits of energy efficiency.

“California’s businesses are coping with the effects of soaring prices for fuel and energy.  CTAC offers business customers the opportunity to see, hear, touch and learn the latest energy-efficient technologies for saving money and managing energy usage,” said Bill Bryan, vice president of SCE’s business customer division.

“By demonstrating energy-efficient technologies and providing educational seminars about those technologies, the recently renovated and updated CTAC has throughout its history, helped customers conserve energy, cut costs, meet our region’s air- and water-quality standards, and strengthen their competitiveness,” Bryan said. 

SCE estimates that, during the past 15 years, more than 350,000 people have attended more than 22,000 energy seminars, technology demonstrations, and special events at the 44,000-square-foot complex.  Among other things, participants have learned that:

  • Switching to T-8 lighting and motion-sensing controls could save a business as much as 30% in lighting expenses.
  • Replacing traditional fixed-speed motors used in plastics processes with newer variable-speed units can reduce energy consumption by as much as 25%.
  • Industrial customers see first-hand the advantages and cost savings of operating an efficient compressed air system versus an inefficient system.


 Bryan noted that thousands of area businesses have sent employees to the facility, which offers insights into reducing energy costs and improving employee productivity. He also said CTAC has changed over the years as business technology changed.
 
 “Just a couple of years ago our dry cleaning industry customers needed help identifying a way to comply and utilize environmentally compliant alternatives to the chemical-based dry cleaning equipment currently in use.  In response, we developed a “Wet Cleaning” demonstration center, where customers can view the latest water-based garment cleaning technology that is energy efficient and meets the environmental mandate” said Bryan.
 
 SCE’s customer technology center consists of distinct centers targeted at specific business sectors:

  • Industrial Technology—visitors are shown the latest developments in compressed air, plastic injection molding, and industrial lighting technologies;
  • Commercial Products—businesses study the newest process improvements in HVAC, motors, power quality and energy management;
  • Lighting Technology —seminar attendees are shown the most cost-effective commercial, industrial, and retail lighting and daylighting technologies at the Southern California Lighting Technology Center;
  • Foodservice Technology—the latest energy-efficient equipment on more than 60 pieces of commercial cooking equipment is demonstrated for restaurateurs and other food-preparation businesses;
  • Electric and Magnetic Fields—a unique interactive educational center featuring exhibits that demonstrate the basic scientific principles behind electric and magnetic fields including EMF sources, mitigation techniques and health research; and the
  • Refrigeration and Thermal Demonstration Center—offers supermarket owners and operators and manufacturers of refrigeration equipment the opportunity to compare and analyze the performance of different refrigeration technologies, concepts and systems, including fan controls, electronically commutated motors, impact doors for walk-in boxes, and energy efficient cases and refrigeration lighting.

In addition, the facility houses an executive conference center where workshops and seminars are held, and a 12-station computer lab where customers can learn business technology software.

Area customers served by SCE’s CTAC training facility over the years include, among others, GTE (now Verizon), Northrop Grumman Corp., the Los Angeles Times, In-N-Out Burger, Cal Poly Pomona, and the Arcadia School District.

CTAC is located just south of the 210 Freeway in the city of Irwindale at 6090 N. Irwindale Ave.  Businesses wanting information about the educational resources available at CTAC can call (800) 336-2822.

# # #

An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 13 million via 4.6 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within central, coastal and Southern California.